Monitoring self administration of dapsone by patients.

The Urinary DDS/Creatinine ratios in the supervised in-patients and out-patients attending the C.L.T. & R.I., clinic were compared. The subjects of this study were receiving dapsone at the daily dosage of 25, 50 and 100 mg or bi-weekly dosage of 25, 50, 75, 100 and 200 mgs. The mean urinary DDS/Creatinine ratios from out-patients were significantly lower than those of the in-patients in both dosage schedules of treatment and suggest that a certain percentage of out-patients have been irregular in the intake of dapsone in the period immediately prior to the collection of urine specimens. The estimated percentage of gross irregularity of intake is markedly higher in the bi-weekly as compared with the daily dosage schedule. The gross irregularity of intake was particularly marked in the higher dosage groups such as 100 mg daily or bi-weekly and 200 mg bi-weekly. The implications of the findings are discussed.